Survival Games: A Meassage, A Cave, A Plan
by BooBoo
Summary: A short story about the citizens of Mineral Village and the effort they make to halt Kai and his invading millitia of thugs. Can Mineral Village be saved? Or, will it fall under the evil watch of Kai? Written circa April 2002, never before appeared on th


Survival Games

Jack was laying on his bed in a deep depression one balmy late winter morning. A few days ago his cattle were stolen and his chickens were hung from his apple tree which was burnt down the next day. One thing did seem pretty suspicious, Kai had a few of his cronies come check up on the village on a regular basis. I had this sickening feeling like Jeff pissed someone off again and they were coming for him. His past bouts with debts may have made him a few enemies. But it seems odd because he never bought anything off Kai and what would Kai want with him. Just then Jack thought he better do something or the Mayor won't be to peachy towards me.

Just as Jack got both feet out of his casa he was jumped. He was put in a strangle hold and under the effects of ether. He woke up in one of the lower levels of the winter mine, no wait it was bottom because he tipped his chair and fell flat into the lake. There, in front of him stood a dark, hooded figure silhouetted against the walls of the cave. He spoke not a word and stood irregularly still for a human. He then slowly pulled an envelope out of the folds of his robe. And then gas started to fill the tunnel and Jack passed out

When Jack came to he was under his charred apple tree with the envelope on his chest and a note attached to what was left of his apple tree by a knife. The note said:  
"Take this envelope to Jeff down at his supermarket and DON'T OPEN IT! And be careful, they are all over the place"

Jack decided he better do what the note said. He wasn't one for messing with mysterious beings in robes that douse people with chloroform. He had trained himself not to go anywhere in the village via Rose Square because of the action going on there. As of pretty lately the square has been packed with outsiders and you have to realize how private Jack's peaceful, little village used to be. No one was out anymore. Duke sat in his wine house for most of the day with a shotgun and Ellen had been robbed of what little she had many times over. And just as his train of thought ended Jack was right outside Jeff's Supermarket.

Jeff walked in just like he was on a casual visit, but believe me, nothing in the village is casual anymore. Jack sensed a bit of apprehension because of his lack of knowledge of who "They" were. Jeff came out of the back room with a grim look on his face. Jeff took the envelope of Jack and opened it. As Jeff read the letter in the envelope a scow spread across his face. "They got Harris, the Mayor wont be pleased."

"May I ask who 'They' are?" Said Jack.

"They happen to be the Ocean Mafia. They have been trying to get a monopoly in trade in this region. They've scared everyone away from their towns and villages except us. For a while they just left us alone, and then you came. Now they want all your produce to themselves. They want all us merchants out of here. They burnt your crops to scare us away. They don't know who they're messin' with.

"Thanks for clearing that up" said Jack.

"It's not all clear yet. One of Kia's men is in the mine by the hot spring. We think he should sell out to us for a cool 500,000g. Use your own money. I'll repay you as soon as I sell the information you get to my people. I'm not telling you who my people are, NOW LEAVE!"

Jack was reluctant at first to accept Jeff's assignment but he figured he may as well because he had nothing better to do. And even if he used his money he'd still have about 65,000g left. Jack would have to be sneaky because this was the time of day the Ocean Mafia got their protection money of Duke. Just as Jack turned onto the street Duke lives on five men dressed in navy blue sprinted out of Duke's wine cellar. Jack figured he better get past there quickly because he didn't know hat was going to happen. Suddenly Jack felt like he was being chased and he was. Jack was running as fast as he could but the men were gaining fast. And then, almost simultaneously, Jack tripped and there was a huge explosion. Shrapnel flew everywhere and as Jack looked back all four of his pursuers were completely decapitated. Jack began to walk briskly to his destination once again. Jack hadn't been up to the hot spring in a while and when he got there he was thoroughly surprised. A large metal door had been fitted on the mine. Jack approached the door and gave it a sharp rapping. The door opened and two men came out. One said "You got the money"

Jack was led to a table in the far left corner of the top level of the mine and was told that the person he was meeting with would be there in a minuet. About forty-eight seconds later a man approached the table in a log black trench coat and said to one of the guards "How many people are in here."

"Just us four" replied the guard.

"Good" said the man then he pulled out a pistol and blew the two guards away.

"Who are you" asked Jack.

"Don't worry about that just take this disk to Douglas" said the mysterious man.

Jack then apprehensively walked out the doors and straight to Doug's house. He knew Doug could decode the message on the disk. Nothing has really changed at the inn exept for the assault rifle always strapped around Doug's back. Jack walked into the bar and handed the disk to Doug and he walked me to his back room. The screen flashed:  
failed

failed

accepted

Ocean Mafia  
principal business: protection, small village disruption  
leader: Myana Rellino a.k.a Kai  
location of front: East Coast  
close

"That's what we needed to know. Now take your axe and escort Louis here. He knows some people, and don't use the axe on him either." spoke Doug

Jack just happened to have his axe on him so he made it to Gotz's pretty quickly. There was a whole lot of screaming going on inside. A foreign sounding man was screaming "Where is my money Louis, give it to me!"

Jack took a mighty hack at the door and knocked it right off its hinges. Jack acted on instinct and buried his axe into Louis's abusers forehead. Jack then untied Louis and took him on his way to Doug's. Jeff was supposed to meet Jack at Doug's to pay him and to talk to Doug and Louis. As they walked into the inn it was empty except for Doug and Jeff sitting at a corner table. A plan was formulated.

All through Spring Jack continued his work of a messenger, and then the day of the assault. It was a steamy summer night and you could feel tension in the air. But before Jack could report to Jeff to tell him he completed his assignment he was knocked out again.

And no doubt there was the guy in the hood, but this time he was unveiled and Jack clearly saw the face of Zack. He said "You don't want to be in that place when the fight goes down. It's going to be a massacre. As soon as the Ocean Mafia soldiers pass Kai's Restaurant a proximity sensor is going to set off a bomb, come watch."

Almost on cue, the minuet Jack and Zack stepped outside a huge explosion rang out and a huge mushroom cloud shot up into the air. "The last mission you were doing, meeting Rick at Mother's hill, was a set-up. Jeff tried to get you close enough to me so I could save you without being discovered. Now go home and get some shut-eye."

The next day there was something peculiar in the Ocean Mafia death count, Kai wasn't one of the dead and Potpourri was nowhere to be found. The town has tried to forget these horrifying times. But don't think that the village is always prepared, for no one knows if Kai's return will come, or if there is going to be a return. But as for now, it's time to live on in liberation of the Ocean Mafia.

-BooBoo


End file.
